Hadrian's Wall: History and Guide

by Guy de la Bédoyère

Stretching 73 miles from coast to coast and reaching a height of about 13 feet, Hadrian’s Wall should have been counted as one of the seven wonders of the ancient world. Today, a World Heritage site, it stands as the most imposing monument north of the Alps and attracts millions of visitors a year.

Yet, despite all the excavation and research that has been carried out, this is the first detailed guide to be written for many years. Having first dealt with the practical questions of transport, clothing and maps, Guy de la Bédoyère explains why and how the Wall was constructed. With the help of almost 100 sketch maps, drawings and photographs, he then conducts the visitor, stage by stage, along the full length of the Wall, providing map locations, route and parking instructions, details of access and opening times, and a full account of everything that can be seen. He also covers the outpost forts, the forts and settlements to the rear (South Shields, Corbridge and Vindolanda) and the local museums which house so many of the artefacts discovered along the Wall.

This indispensable guide-book concludes with a list of dates, a glossary and a summary of all the key sources.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Guy de la Bédoyère is a historian and archaeologist who has written six books on Roman Britain (including The Finds of Roman Britain and The Buildings of Roman Britain) and has recently presented a BBC Radio 4 series on Roman Britain, of which one programme was exclusively devoted to Hadrian’s Wall.

He lives in Grantham, Lincolnshire.

Genres: History, Nonfiction

268 pages, Kindle Edition

First published June 1, 1998

About the author

Guy de la Bédoyère is author of a widely admired series of books on Roman history. He appeared regularly on the UK’s Channel 4 archaeology series Time Team and is well known in the United States for his volume The Romans for Dummies. His latest books are Gladius. Living, Fighting, and Dying in the Roman Army (2020), and Pharaohs of the Sun. How Egypt's Despots and Dreamers Drove the Rise and Fall of Tutankhamun's Dynasty (2022). He lives in Grantham, Lincolnshire, UK.

Reviews

[Jennifer Palmer · Rating 2 out of 5]

It's more of a guide book of where to find Hadrian's wall than a history and guide. Guy does a amazing job of showing the reader were it was visible in the past and parts of the wall that we cannot see anymore thanks to the industrial era of the victorian era. Photos, maps and diagrams of the forts and the wall are extremely detailed but for people who are studying about the wall may find this a good reference book to the different forts that the Romans built and facts about the wall. Plus all of the finds from the different sites will interest anyone interested in this period of history.

[Terri · Rating 4 out of 5]

The first chapters give the history of the region back to Neolithic times—although this area was sparsely populated, and there is little remaining evidence. Even written records related to the Hadrian’s Wall are limited. From this brief history, the rest of the chapters are a guidebook, giving directions to all the places one might “take in” on this 73-mile wonder, which incidentally had guard houses at every mile. It was noted that back in the day, George R. R. Martin visited the wall. I expect to see Vindolanda—evidently there is a recreated Roman guard house/village there.

[Michael Romo · Rating 4 out of 5]

An informative guide history that is chock full illustrations for every milecastle and fort from Newcastle to South Shields. This book is a must for serious students of the Wall and occasional visitors alike.